Retrieving-trolley.



G. E. .LAN G.

RBTRIBVING TROLLEY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912.

Patented J an. 12, 1915;

my 1. L 12u/*ming In erzzior' Carleszgyefmzy Mii/219.9565

THE NORRIS PETERS 60 PHoTc-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

G. E. LANG.

BETRIEVING TROLLEY.

APPLICATION IILED Mlm, 1912.

1,124,624. Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

47 @Il E 7934 48 l fg Lg;

THE MORRIS PETERS Cc PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D C.

C. E.. LANG. RETRIEVING TROLLEY.'

APPLICATION HLED JAN. 2, 1912.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Mn/asses. l@ f`/ THE MORRIS PETERS Co.. Pl-lDTc-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UrEp srarEs "ANT QFFQE.

CHARLES E. LANG, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WASSON ENGINEER- ING & SUPPLY CO., OF SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

RETRIEVING-TROLLEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES EUGENE LANG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State. of California, have 1nvented new and useful Improvements in Retrieving-Trolleys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement of the retrieving trolley described in my applications, Serial No. 439,87 8, filed June 22, 1908; and Serial No. 567,990, filed June 20, 1910, for United States patents on retrieving trolleys.

An object of this invention is to simplify the construction and operation of the re-y trieving trolleys embodied in the aforesaid applications by eliminating the shiftable fulcrum and substituting direct latching and unlatching means and also to provide a trolley the operating parts of which when assembled on a support, will occupy a space of minimum height; thereby allowing the trolley to pass freely under low bridges and the like.

A specific difference in this invention over that disclosed in my two previous applications consists in the provision and arrangement of means whereby the pressure or force of the trolley spring which exerts a lifting force upon the trolley pole to hold the trolley wheel in working position against the trolley wire so long as the pole is restrained, will be materally reduced; and in other words consists in the provision of means whereby the spring exerts two forces on the trolley pole, one tending to lift said pole and the otherl tending to depress or push downward the trolley pole, and whereby the resultant force may be changed from a maximum lifting force suliicient to lift the pole to a minimum lifting force insuiiicient to keep the pole from lowering from its lifted position due to gravity acting to draw the trolley pole down immediately whenever said wheel escapes from the trolley wire.

Further features of improvement reside 'n the novel construction and arrangement of parts; in novel means for directly operating the latching and unlatching device, and in the construction and arrangement of parts to cushion and ease the operation of the means which effects the descent of the trolley pole when the same is unlatched.

Other objects and advantages may appear from the subjoined detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure l is a broken side elevation on a reduced scale of a trolley embodying this invention mounted for operation on a trolley car, a fragment of which is shown. The trolley is shown in normal running position with the trolley wheel against the trolley wire. Fig. 2is the invention on an enlarged scale showing the trolley base turned as though the longitudinal axis of the car extended upward diagonally across the sheet from the lower right hand corner; the trolley foot being swung relative to the base, into the farthest lateral position which is possible for it to reach after the trolley wheel has escaped from the wire. The large arrow indicates the direction in which the car is supposed to be moving and is at the supposed axis of the car. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal mid-section on line 5, Figs. 2, 8 and 9. Parts are shown in the running position in dot and dash lines and in the escaped position in solidlines. The light and heavy broken lines indicate the draft lines of the trolley spring in the running and the escaped positions. Fig. l is a reduced fragmental mid-sectional view showing parts in the position assumed when the trolley has `iust escaped and the trolley spring is about to force the trolley pole down. The straight broken lines in the view and in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, indicate the draft line of the trolley spring. Fig. 5 is a view analogous to Fig. 3, showing one end of the fulcrum lever, and also the link shown in elevation and illustrating the parts in resting or unlatched position to which they have arrived from the position of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view analogous to Figs. 3 and 5 showing a position assumed by the parts while the trolley pole is being pulled down from the resting position of Fig. 5 to the latched position of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a fragmental longitudinal elevation, partly in section, and viewed from line fr?, Figs. 2, 8 and 9, showing the parts in latched position to which they are tending in Fig. 6. The trolley pole, under restr-aint of the rope, not shown in this view, is in position to slowly rise toward the trolley wire. Fig. 8 is'an elevation partly in section and viewed from irregular line w8,

a broken fragmental plan ofl Figs. 2, 5v and 9 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 9 is a plan section viewed from irregular line ai, Fig. 6 of the trolley foot and some of the parts carried thereby. Fig. 10 is a perspective detail of the supporting link. Fig. 11 is a perspective detail of the latch-cam. Fig. 12 is a perspective detail of the latch-arm.

To simplify some of the views the trolley springs are therein represented only by their draft lines which are shown in broken lines.

The car l, trolley pole 2, trolley wheel 3 and trolley wire 4 are of the usual construction and the trolley foot 5 is anti-frictionally supported in the trolley base 6 by the anti-friction balls 7 which run in the annular race-way 8. The base 6 is provided with bolt holes a to receive bolts t by which it may be fastened to the top of the car; and the trolley foot 5 is provided with two standards 9 and 9 that project upwardly at the sides of the trolley foot and are each pro vided with four holes 10, 11, 12 and 13 to receive and support yhorizontal pivot pins.

rl'he shank 14 of the trolley pole is pivoted between the standards by means of a fulcrum pin 15, which is supported in the holes 10. Said shank is bifurcated at its pivotal extremity' and is provided between the bifurcations and rearwardly of the trolley pole fulcrum pin 15 with a cushion seat 16 in which is mounted a yielding cushion 17 of rubber or other suitable material, on top of which rests an easing block 18, one end of which is pivoted to the shank 14 by a pivot pin 19.

The free tip 20 of the block 18 normally extends above the level of the thrust face 21 of the bifurcated shank to yieldingly receive and ease down upon the thrust face 21 the thrust roller 22 of the anchor pin 23 which extends across underneath the upper ends of the standards 9, 9 ihat'overhang forwardly; said pin being held at its ends by the anchor link members 24 having slots 2 5 through which extend pins 26 that are mounted in the holes. 11 of the standards and in holes 27 of lugs 28 that are integral with and extend up from the sides of the foot 5, thus loosely mounting the link members outside the standards and between the standards and the lugs.

The latch cam 29 is bifurcated and pivotally mounted on the standards by means of pins 30 upon which said cam is looselv mounted, said pins being secured in the holes 12 of the standards by suitable means as the cotter pins shown. The anchor shifting latch cam 29 is provided along its front edge with upper and lower curved faces 31 and 32 of'the same radius as the roller face 22 of the pin 23 which engages the top curved face 31 when the trolley is in working positionk and shifts past the intermediate detent 31 to the bottom face 32 after the trolley es capes and before it begins to lower as hereinafter described.

The trolley spring, which, as with my two former applications, is composed of helicals 33 and 33 disposed on opposite sides of the trolley pole, is fastened by hook-bolts 34 and nuts 35 to the trolley pole arms 36 that project outward from the trolley shank. Said helicals are engaged at their lower ends with hooks 37, 37 that are loosely carried by the ends of the anchor pin upon which the hooks 37, 37 are fastened by suitable means as lcotter pins which hold the hooks against the link members 24.

The latch cam is provided with a toe 38 having an angular back edge 38 adapted to engage the front angular edge 39 of the latch arm 40 arranged to hold the latch cam latched, and having holes 41 through which extends a pin 41 to pvot said latch arm to ears 42 that extend up from the front of the trolley-foot 5. Said latch arm is yieldingly drawn into latching position by vmeans of the tripping lever 43 and its adjuncts hereinafter described. So long as the anchor pin 23 and its roller 22 are held by the latch cam 29, the tendency of the helicals 33, 33 is to draw the trolley-pole toward an upright position around the fulcrum pin 15. This will beunderstood by reference to Figs. 1 and 7 By reference to`Figs.f3, 4 and 5, it will be seen that when the latch arm 40 is forced down to unlatch the latch cam 29, as in Fig. 3, the force of the trolley spring acting` upon the link retained anchor pin 23 through the hooks 37, 37 will swing the roller 22 rearwardly and downwardly past the detent 31 to swing the cam out of the path of the roller 22, thus bringing said roller into engagement with the thrust face 21 of the trolley shank to tend to force said shank down. Meanwhile the roller 22 is eased into engagement with the face 21 by the yielding block 18 which is depressed upon its cushion 17.

The tripping lever 43 is fulcrumed between its ends on a pin 44 that is supported in the holes 13 of the standards 9, 9 and is provided with a rearward end 45 which contacts with a smooth face 46 of the shank .14; said face 46 and rearward end 45 being in slidable relation to each other, so that as the trolley pole moves forward and upward it forces down the front end of the lever 43 that is pivoted by the pivot pin 47 to a shouldered dash pot piston rod 48 that is provided at its lower end with a reduced portion forming a stud 49 on which is secured a recessed and perforated valved piston head 50 having a valve 51 to close the perforations substantially as in my previous application.

The piston head is fixed on thefpiston rod by means of a sleeve nut 52, the sleeve of whichr is externallyl smooth, is of less dialne-v ter than the head of the nut and extends into the valve seat 53 of the piston head to hold said piston head tightly against the shoulder of the piston rod 4S. A spiral spring 54 in the recess 53 tends to normally hold the valve 5l against the head of the nut 52, and to open the way through the perforations 55 of the piston head which is mounted in a vertical cylinder dash pot 56 having a closed bottom 57; the upper end of said cylinderr being closed by a gland 58 held by cap screws 58, and provided with a capped perforated vent pipe 59 extending up above the top of the gland so that the cylinder 56 may be filled through the pipe 59 witha suitable liquid as oil when the cap is removed. The interior of the dash pot cylinder is thus open above the piston to external air pressure, so that while the valve 5l is open liquid may freely flow through the piston head. The liquid when thus in place constitutes a mobile stop agent or body 60 to resist sudden down movement of the piston.

rlhe cylinder 56 is pivotally mounted between the limbs 61, 6l of the latch arm 40 by means of trunnions 62 provided at the lower end of said cylinder and supported in holes 63 of said latch arm; and as the trolley pole moves gradually up and down, the piston operated thereby moves freely in the cylinder which oscillates on its trunnions to accommodate such piston move ment.

In case the piston head is suddenly forced down by sudden upward movement of the trolley pole, the valve 5l is held by the liquid body 60 to close the passage ways 55, thus making the piston practically solid so that upon its further descent it will act upon the liquid body to drive the cylinder 56 and the latch arm down as shown in Fig. 3y to release the latch cam tip 33 and allow the roller 22 under the pressure of the helicals 33, 33 to swing the latch cam 29 backward to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When the latch is thus released, its free end comes to rest on the foot 5, thus positively supporting the cylinder,fand thereupon said cylinder, the liquid, the piston and the lever 43 are held stationary to form a block fory the shank of the trolley pole until the roller 22 has swung the latch cam back into the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and has been forced down upon the face 2l of the shank. Thereupon the trolley spring, acting through said roller upon the thrust face 2l of the shank tends to force the trolley pole down into the resting position shown in Fig. 5. f

The latch arm limbs 6l and 61 are provided with rearward extensions that terminate in locking lingers 64 adapted to embrace guide lugs 65 on the trolley foot 5 and tr; engage reversely arranged ratchet teeth 6 and 68 that are mounted upon the trolley f base and have straight inner locking faces 69 and sloping outer faces 70. Said ratchet teeth 67, 68 are arranged in pairs at back and front of the trolley base and are spaced apart from each other sufficiently to allow only a limited rotary movement of the trolley foot when the latch arm is down and the fingers 64 are between the straight faces 69 as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6. Said fingers 64 are adapted to ride over the sloping outer faces of the teeth 67 and 68 so that if the latch descends outside the teeth it may become locked by the teeth when the trolley pole swings into line with the axis of the car either at front or back; thus to prevent lateral movement beyond the certain limit determined by they open space between the sides of the lingers 64 and the straight faces of the teeth.

IThe guides 65 extend up from the trolley foot 5, one on the inside of each finger 64 and provide against wrenching the arm 40.

For convenience of construction the latch arm 46 may be made of one piece of cast metal the limbs 6l, 6l being connected by a cross bar 7l to form the front angular atching edge 39 and which cross bar may be broken as indicated at 72, Fig. l2, and after the cylinder 56 is mounted in place with the trunnions 62 in the holes 63 the two parts may be fastened together' by a rivet 7 3.

Each of the rear extensions of the latch arm 40 has a face 74 that terminates in an angular stop shoulder which is engaged by the toe 33 to limit the travel of the unlatched latch cam about its pivot 30.

A spring 6 is mounted Vbetween the furcations of the trolley shank 14 in operative relation to the rearward end 45 of the lever 43; the lower cured by a pin 'Z7 extending through said furcations and the upper end being caught upon a hook 73 that extends downwardly from the middle portion of said rearward end Said spring .7 6 normally tends to hold the rearward end 45 of lever 43 in engagement with the face 46 of the trolley shank and also provides resilient means to return to latching position with the latch cam, the latch arm 40 which is held in latching position with the cam 29 by the. resilient force of the helicals 33, 33 that act upon the roller 22 to force it against the face 3l of said cam to hold the tip 33 against the edge 39 of the latch arm.

To support the trolley pole in'its resting position to which it arrives after being unlatched, and also to provide means for restoring the latch cam to latching position, a slotted link 79 extends down between the turcations of the shank 14 and is adapted to ride a pin 31 that is carried by the shank and extends through the slot 30 of said link.

rThe link extends downward through a slot 82 in the tripping lever 43 on which it end of said spring being sei is 'hung by shoulders 83 when the trolley is latched and the trolley pole is up in working position. Said shoulders are adapted to ride loosely upon the top surface of the lever 43 while 'the pin 81 travels to and fro in the slot 80. When the trolley spring anchor is unlatched and the trolley has dropped to its resting position, said shoulders engage seats 84 on the latch cam 29 while the pin l81 comes to rest in the bottom of the slot 80 thus supporting the trolley shank 14 against further downward movement until, by means of the trolley rope 85, the pole is pulled down from the resting position shown in Fig. 5 to the latching position shown-in Fig. 7. During this operation the shoulders already in engagement with the seats 84 of the cam 29 swing said cam forward until the tip 38 comes in front of the edge 39 of the latch, whereupon the latch arm rises under the force of the spring 76 thus latching the tip 38.

The action of the spring 76 iseffective upon the latch arm only when the top of the piston head 50 is in engagement with the under-side of the gland 58 and this occurs only when the pole is being pulled down by the trolley rope from resting position to latching position, at which time the spring 7 6, through the lever-'43 tends to lift the cylinder 56 which in turn exerts through the trunnions 62 an upward force upon the latch arm 40 thus to latch the cam when it is returned to latching position by the downward pull of the shoulders 83 on the seats 84.

1n practical operation when the trolley spring anchor is latched as shown in Figs. 1 and 7and the trolley pole is restrained by the trolley rope or by the trolley wire so that its up anddown movements are at moderate speeds, such as may occur when ythe trolley wheel is being eased to the trolley wire or is running along and responding to vthe undulations'of such wire the valve 51 will be held down by the spring 54 so that the liquid in the cylinder may freely pass through the by-pass formed by the perforations in the` piston head; but in case of sudden upward movement of the trolley pole, such as occurs when the trolley wheel leaves the wire, the trolley spring forces the trolley shank againstthe rounded back end 45 of the lever 43, and said lever responding to the thrust, suddenly forces down the dash pot piston head a short distance, thus closing the valve 51 and forcing down the liquid body, and operating the latch 40, thereby releasing the latch cam as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the roller 22 descends upon the thrust face 21 of the trolley shank at a point rearwardly of the fulcrum pin 15, shown in Fig. 4, and arrests the movement of the trolley springs 33 and 33 and link members 24 as they move toward an alined position.

This attending force exerted through thel link retained pin and rollei1 22 upon the thrust face 21 rearwardly ofthe fulcruin pin 15 by the springs and links tending toward said alined position becomes eective to eXert a depressing kforce on the trolley pole as shown in Fig. 4. The pole swings downward about its pivot 15 until the shoulders 83 of the link 79 engage the seats 84 of the latch cam 29 and the pin 81 comes into the bottom of the slot 80 to thereby support the pole in its resting position. Y

To replace the trolley wheel on they wire the operator may now, by means ofthe trolley rope 85 pull the pole down to latching position as hereinbefore described and then gradually ease the same to the trolley wire.

When the latch cam 29 is swung forwardly into latching position the face 32 of the cam carries the roller 22 forwardly of the fulcrum pin 15 to thereby increase the tension of the trolley spring preparatory to returning the pole to the wire. vMeantime the anchor pin. retainingr link members 24 are moved downwardly upon their pins 26 as shown in Fig. 7. Said link members constitute lost motion connections to accommodate the up and down movement of the anchor pin.

As the trolley pole is gradually eased to the wire the anchor pin roller 22 remains in engagement with the face A32 of the cam 29 until, the draft line of the helicals 33 and 33 has risen sufficiently to pull the roller over the detent 31 and into engagement with the face 31 thus to retain the anchor pin against descent until the cam is again released by the dash pot upon sudden rising of the trolley pole.

When the anchor pin roller is thus retained by the detent 31 and face 31, the latched pole can not descend without increasing the tension of the trolley spring which is thus made to hold the trolley pole firmly against the wire.

It is thus -seen that 1 have provided a shiftable trolley-spring anchor comprising the pin 23 having the roller 22, the links 24, the pins 26;,pivoted latch cam 29,- and the pivoted latch arm 40; and that the latch arm 40 is adapted to hold the latch cam in a forward position thus to hold the anchor pin' 23 elevated, thereby holding the trolley spring in such position that Iits force is eX- erted to lift the free end of the trolley pole; the pin 23 being adapted by its roller 22, through the tending alinement of the springs and links to apply pressure tending to force the trolley pole down when the cam is unlatched; also that when the cam is thus unlatched and the pin 23 is in position to depress the trolley pole, the cam supports the pole supporting and cam returning link 7 9 in such position that the pole supporting and cam returning pin 81 is held 'just below the draft line-of the trolley spring sothat the trolley pole will come to. rest at a slight upward and rearward incline from which it can be drawn down until the llatch cam is pulled down by the link 7 9 into latching position; thus again lifting the anchor pin 23 to pole lifting position where it is held until the cam is again unlatched.

The anchor link 24 is pivoted near the level of the fulcrum of the trolley pole and the link extends upward and rearward therefrom so that the anchor pin is allowed to move backward and forward and down and up as the cam is unlatched from and returned to its anchor pin supporting position.

The dash pot cylinder or liquid container is pivoted directly on the latch so that it will adjust itself to the dash pot piston as it moves up and down responsive to the movement of the trolley pole.

claim:

l. In a retrieving trolley, the combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole; and its foot and spring; of shiftable means to anchor the spring to the foot; and means operatable by the trolley pole to shift the anchor means to simultaneously exert pole lifting and pole depressing forces.

2. The combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole and its foot and spring; of shiftable spring anchoring means arranged to contact with the trolley pole above its fulcrum to exert a depressing force on the pole; and means operatable by the pole to raise the spring anchoring means into position for supporting the pole.

3. The combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole and its foot and spring; of shiftable spring anchoring means arranged to Contact with the trolley pole above its fulcruin to exert a depressing force on the pole; a cam operatable by the pole to raise the spring anchoring means into position for supporting -the pole; and latch mechanism to retain the cam in raised position.

t. The combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole and its foot and spring; of shiftable spring anchoring means arranged to Contact with the trolley pole above its fulcrum to exert a depressing force on the pole; a cam operatable by the pole to raise the spring anchoring means into position for supporting the pole; latch mechanism to retain the cam in raised position and mechanism operatable by rapid upward movement of the trolley pole to release the latch.

5. The combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole its foot and spring; of a link and pin pivotally connected with the foot and trolley spring and forming an anchor for the spring; saidpin being adapted and arranged to act upon the trolley pole above its fulcrum to exert a depressing force on the trolley pole.

6. The combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole its foot and spring; of a link and pin pivotally connected with the foot and trolley spring and forming an anchor for the spring; said pin being adapted and arranged to act upon the trolley pole above its fulcrum to exert a depressing force on the trolley pole; a cam pivotally mounted on the foot and adapted to move the pin from pole depressing position to a position where the draft of the spring will tend to lift the pole; and means to operate the cam to lift the pin. y

7. The combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole its foot and spring; of a link pivotally connected with the foot; a pin held byy the link and pivotally connecting the spring' therewith, said spring link and pin being adapted and arranged to exert a depressing force on the trolley pole; a cam to raise the pin so as to raise the draft line of the spring for the purpose of lifting the pole; means connecting the pole with the cam to actuate the cam to raise the pin when the pole is depressed; a latch arm to retain the cam in pin raising position; a dash pot to move thelatch arm to release the cam; and a lever actuated by the trolley pole to operate the dash pot.

8. The combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole its foot and spring; of a link pivotally connected with the foot; a pin held by the link and pivotally connecting the spring therewith, said spring link and pin being adapted and arranged to exert a depressing force on the trolley pole; a cam provided with two faces and a detent to engage and raise the pin so as to raise the draft line of the spring for the purpose of lifting the pole; means connecting the pole with the cam to actuate the cam to raise the pin when the pole is depressed; a latch arm to retain the cam in pin raising position; a dash pot to move the latch arm to release the cam; and a lever actuated by the trolley pole to operate the dash pot.

9. 1n a retrieving trolley the combination of a fulcrumed trolley pole, a pivoted latch arm; a swinging cam provided with a detent adapted to be latched by the latch arm; a pivoted lever operatable by upward movement of the trolley pole, means to hold one endof the lever in engagement with the trolley pole; and a dash pot between the lever and the latch arm to unlatch the cam on1 rapid upward movement of the trolley po e.

10. 1n a retrieving trolley the combination of a fulcrumed trolley pole; a link pivoted near the level of the trolley pole fulcrum and extending upward; an anchor pin held by the link; a trolley spring connected with the trolley pole and with the anchor pin; means to support the pin against the thrust of the spring; a latch for the thrust supporting means; a lever opf the anchor erated by the upward movement of the trolley pole; a dash pot between the lever and the latch to release the latch on the sudden upward movement of the trolley pole; and means pivotally connected with the trolley pole to operate the lever when the trolley pole is depressed and to move the anchor pin supporting means against the thrust of the spring to'return the anchor pin supporting means to latched position.

11. A retrieving trolley comprising a ful crumed trolley pole provided with a pin; an anchor pin; means to hold the anchor pin above the trolley fulcrum and to allow it to move backward and forward and up and down; a trolley spring connecting the anchor pin with the trolley pole; means to support the trolley pin against the thrust of the trolley spring; means connected with the pin of the trolley pole and arranged to move the anchor pin supporting means to raise the anchor pin when the trolley pole is depressed; means to latch said anchor pin raising means, and means operatable by rapid upward movement of the trolley pole to release the latch.

12. In a retrieving trolley comprising a trolley pole; resilient means to support the pole; means operated by the resilient means to exert a depressing force on the pole; and means to cushion the pole depressing means as it acts upon the pole tending to de press it.

13. In a retrieving trolley, the combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole and a trolley spring therefor, of a shiftable anchor pin for the trolley spring arranged above the level of the trolley pole; means operatable by the trolley pole to raise the pin; means to latch the pin in raised position; a dash pot connected with the latch, and operating means between the dash pot and the trolley pole to operate the dash pot to release the latch upon suddenv upward movement of the trolley pole.

11. In a retrieving trolley, the combination of a fulcrumed trolley pole and a trol ley spring therefor; a shiftable anchor pin for the trolley spring arranged above the level of the trolley pole fulcrum; means operatable by the trolley pole to raise pin; means to latch the anchor pin in raised position; a dash pot connected with the latch; means between the dash pot and the trolley pole to operate the dash pot to release the latch upon sudden upward movement of the trolley pole; and a link pivotally connected with the trolley pole and connected to move the shiftable anchor upward when the pole is depressed.

15. The combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole; of a cushion carried by the pole; a block pivoted to the pole and resting on the cushion; an anchor pin; and a spring connected to the pole and to the anchor pin;

said pin being adapted to contact withzthe tip of the block and also adapted to engage the trolley pole thereon.

16. The combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole; of a cushion carried by the pole; a block pivoted to the pole and resting on the cushion; an anchor pin; a spring connected to the pole and to the anchor pin; said pin being adapted to contact with the tip of the block and also adapted to engage the trolley pole to exert a depressing force thereon; a cam to lift the anchor pin; and means to vlatch the cam.

17. The combination with a fulcrumed trolley pole; of a cushion carried by the pole; a block pivoted to the pole and resting on the cushion; an anchor pin; a spring connected to the pole and to the anchor pin; said pin being adapted to contact with the tip of the block and also adapted to engage the trolley pole to eXert a depressing force thereon; a cam vto lift the anchor pin; means to latch the cam; and'means operatable by rapid upward movement of the trolley pole to release the latch.

18. In a retrieving trolley, the combination of a trolley spring, latched means to resist the thrust of said trolley spring; a lever; a spring to hold the lever in contact with the trolley pole; and a dash pot op-.

eratable by the lever on the upward movement of the trolley pole to release the latch.

19. In a retrieving trolley, the combination of a trolley spring, a shftable anchor for the trolley spring; a cam; a latch to latch the cam in position to resist the thrust of the anchor; and a link connected with the trolley pole and adapted to engage the cam on the downward movement of the trolley pole to move the cam to latching position.

20. In a retrieving trolley atrolley spring, a shiftable anchor for the spring; means to support the anchor against the thrust of the trolley spring; a latch for such means; a lever operated by the trolley pole, and a dash pot comprising a cylinder connected with the latch, and a piston and piston rod connected with the lever.

21. rl`he combination with a support; of a trolley pole fulcrumed to the support and provided with a thrust face; a thrust roller; link members connected to said support and anchoring the thrust roller; spring means connecting the pole and roller; a latch cam pivoted to the support7 a latch arm to latch the cam and thereby hold said roller to support the spring means in position to eXert a denite lifting force on the pole; which contacts with the trolley pole; and means operatable by said lever whenever the trolley moves rapidly upward to operate the latch arm to release the latch cam;

to exert a depressing force a tripping lever, one end ofv thereby allowing the spring means to swing the links rearwardly and downwardly to move the thrust roller into engagement with the thrust face of the trolley to exert a depressing force on the trolley pole.

22. The combination of a trolley pole pivoted to a support, of a latch cam, a latch arm for the cam, fingers at the extremities of the arm, stops with which said fingers are adapted to engage, a liquid container pivotally connected to the latch arm, a confined body of liquid in said container, a tripping lever contacting with the trolley pole, a valved piston Operated by said tripping lever and adapted to cause the liquid to exert a downward pressure upon the container to operate the latch arm to thereby release the latch cam and bring the fingers into engaging position relative to said stops.

23. The combination of a trolley pole pivoted to a support, of a latch cam, a latch arm for the cam, fingers at the extremities of the arm, stops with which said fingers are adapted to engage, a. liquid container pivotally connected to the latch arm, a confined body of liquid in said container, a tripping lever contacting with the trolley pole, a valved piston operated by said tripping lever and adapted to cause the liquid to exert a downward pressure upon the container to operate the latch arm to thereby release the latch cam and bring the fingers into engaging position relative to said stops; a spring connecting the trolley pole with the free end of the tripping lever and adapted to exert a resilient lifting force upon the container to lift the latch arm and raise the fingers out of engaging position relative to the stops, as the latch cam is swung forward by the downward movement of the trolley pole to reset the cam.

24. The combination with a trolley pole provided with al thrust face; a fulcrum therefor; a thrust roller; a latch cam; a resilient connection between the thrust roller and the pole to hold the roller in engagement with the latch cam to hold the trolley pole in working position; said pole being provided with a cushion seat arranged rearwardly of the pole fulcrum; a cushion in said seat; a block pivoted to said pole and resting upon the cushion; the free tip of said block normally extending above the thrusting face of the trolley pole to yieldingly oppose the initial thrust of the thrust roller as it drops to engage the said thrust face of the pole.

25. The combination with a trolley pole provided with a thrust face; a fulcrum therefor; a. thrust roller; a latch-cam; a resilient connection between the thrust Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner roller and the pole to hold the roller in engagement with the latch cam to hold the trolley pole in working position, said pole being provided with a cushion seat arranged rearwardly of the pole fulcrum; a block pivoted to said pole and resting upon the cushion seat; said thrust roller being adapted to ride over the free tip of the block as the roller bears upon the thrust face of the trolley pole to force the same downward, and said free tip being adapted to move up behind the roller at the completion of the retrieving stroke of the trolley pole; thus to constitute locking means to lock the trolley pole in its resting or retrieved position.

26. The combination with a pivoted trolley pole mounted to swing on a horizontal and on a vertical axis; a pivoted latch cam; a thrust roller, a resilient connection between the thrust roller and the pole; latching means to hold the cam in latching position to hold the trolley pole in working position against the trolley wire; and means operatable by rapid upward movement of the trolley pole to release said latching means; seats in the top of the latch cam and rearwardly of the pivot thereof; a pin mounted in the trolley pole; a supporting link having shoulders at the top and sides thereof and being provided with a slot therein to ride the pin, said shoulders being adapted to engage in the seats of the latch cam as the pin rides into the bottom of the slot in the link to thereby support the trolley pole in its resting or retrieved position.

27. A retrieving trolley comprising a base, a trolley pole mounted on the base, a spring, and means connecting the spring to the trolley pole and designed to transmit from the spring to the trolley pole two forces, one tending to lift the trolley pole and one tending to depress the trolley pole.

28. A retrieving trolley comprising a base, a trolley pole mounted on the base, a spring, means connecting the spring to the trolley pole and designed to transmit from the spring to the trolley pole two forces, one tending to lift the trolley pole and one tending to depress the trolley pole, and means to change the resultant of said forces from a maximum tending to lift the trolley pole to a minimum allowing the trolley pole to lower from its lifted position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Santa Rosa, Sonoma county, California, this 23rd day of December. 1911.

CHARLES E. LANG.

In presence of- JOS. P. BERRY, JAY E. Bowne.

of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

